Device for setting and replacing poles



J. G. SMITH DEVICE FOR SETTING AND REPLACING POLES Jan. 5 1926.

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Filed Feb. 26 1923 J G SMITH DEVICE FOR SETTING AND REPLACING POLES Jan.5 1926.

Patented Jan. 5, 1926.

UNITED STATES JEFFERSON G. SMITH, OF MGDONOUGH, GEORGIA.

DEVICE FOR SETTING AND REPLACING YOLES.

Application filed February 28, 1928. Serial No. 621,415.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, Jnrrnuson G. SMITH, acitizen of the United States ofAmerica, and resident of McDonough, in the county of Henry, in the Stateof Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Devices for Setting andReplacing Poles, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing bad to the accompanying drawings. Y

My invention re ates to means for setting poles or posts upright in theearth, and has for some of its objects among others the roduction ofmeans whereby any pole, such or example, as one intended for supportingelectric line wires, maybe set in the ground in such manner asto prolongits life in service, to fortify it against fracture under transversestrain, to provide for convenience of re lacement of either pole or itsbrace mem rs in case of need, and to provide for the resetting, withoutnecessity for materially shortening its length, of an old pole whosebutt is deca ed below ground to suchan extent as or inarily to requirerenewal of the pole. Promotion of economy in the art to which it relatesmay, therefore, be stated to be the generic objectof my invention. 7

An important economy achieved by my 80 invention is in making itpracticable to use cheap in place of GXPBBSIVB wood in poleconstruction. By my invention the life of a cheap pine pole, forexample, may, with proper care bestowed upon its upkeep, be

I 36 extended beyond that of the best lasting poles made of the mostdurable and expensive wood and erected under methods at present in use.

What. constitutes my invention will be 40 hereinafter specified indetail and succinctly set forth in the appended claims. v In theaccompanying drawings,

Figure I is a si e" elevation of the lower end of a pole anditsbaseunited in no 4 cordance with-in invention. In the form ofembodiments own in this figure, four brace-rods for securing the pole tothe base are used as shown in the next figure.

Figure II is a cross section on the line II-II of Figure I.

. Figure III is a longitudinal vertical medial section of a base-asshown in we l with the pole set therein in side elevagion and securedthereto by a single bracero Figure IV is a cross section on the lineIV--IV of Figure III, with dotted lines to indicate a three brace-rodconstruction.

' Figure V is a partial view correspondingto Figure III.

Figure VI is a cross section on the VI-VIof- Figure V.

Figure VII is a side elevation of a base of modified construction inrespect to its line being provided with reinforcement and tothedisposition of brace-rods.

Figure VIII is a side elevation of one form of my brace-rod collarattached toa pole and to brace-rods shown as broken awa Figure IX is atop plan view of the subject matter of Figure VIII.

Figure X is a view similar to Figure VIII showing a modified form ofbrace-rod collar.

place for service, and 2 a base therefor, or that portion of thecombination that is sunk below ground and which constitutes a sup-Figure XI is a top plan view of the-subto the numerals on the draw portfor fixin the position of the member 1.

making 0 the part 1 a iece of sound wood of an kind and suitable shapereferred may used. It has been heretofore, and still is generally, thecommon practice in setting a pole to dig a hole'in the ground ofsufficient diameter and depth, and to set the pole therein, filling thespace between the outside of the pole and inside wall of the hole withearth or other suitable matcrial.

At best, this method exposes the underground portion of the pole todecay, and for that reason it has always been considered good practiceto select certain kinds of woods having a high degree of resistance todecayunder ground, and frequently to in crease the power of suchresistance by s ecial treatment. Such woods have genera 1ybeencomparatively expensive, and the ever increasing demand has increasedthe cost in some localities and for some kinds of wood to a prohibitiveextent.

By my invention, as was heretofore stated, the use of the cheapest kindsof wood is not only made practicable, but, by proper initial treatmentand careful subsequent inspection and u keep, is made to give longerservice than the most costly stock set in the ground will give.Moreover, old poles of any description which are rotted at the base evento the point of breakage but remaining sound above ground, may, by minvention, be restored to service and ma e to serve, in every respect,as well as new poles, as will be presently explained.

The base 2 is preferably made of concrete consistin for example, of anysuitable an preferre mixture with water of cement, sand, and coarseingredient, with or without reinforcement as desired, and may be madeeither in lace where it is intended to be set, or elsew ere, as in afactor and of concrete or other material as pre erred.

The size, dimensions, and shape in exterior, as well as incross-sectional contours of the base 2, may be varied at discretion tosuit the preference of the maker. In the forms illustrated, for example,in the draw' the base comprises a crown 3, which is sufiicientl massiveto accommodate it to its ofiice, an with a de ending skirt 4, whichmight be made 80llbl1t is preferably hollowed with the object of economyof material.

In the top of the base 2 I provide a socket 5 of any preferred depth andshape in cross-section, and of transverse dimensions corres ndin to thesize of the ole for which it is intended. The requlsite dimension of thesocket 5 determines the mass of the crown 3 when that feature isincluded in the form of the base.

Into the socket 5 the butt of a pole previously shaped to form a tenon 6to fit the socket but preferably not to extend to the bottom thereof, isset, in final assemblage of the members 1 and 2, in the place selectedfor erection of the pole. The shaping of the tenon of a new pole may bemerely a matter of trimming the wood to desired shape and dimensions;but if the work be that of resetting an old ole it is first necessary tocut away the en of the pole until a butt of sound wood is developed.Afterwards the shaping of the butt to form a terion is effected as inthe making of a new po e.

In setting a pole, the base selected for it is either made in place inthe ground, or it is sunk and tamped into a hole therein prepared forit, and provision is made in the base for the accommodation of abracerod or rods 7.

As many rods as may be necessary or denew??? The brace-rod or rods 7 maybe incorporated in the body of the concrete which preferably constitutesthe base 2, but I prefer to provide in the base rod-conduit or conduits8, made oblong in cross section to ermit the introduction therein of acrossead 9 on one end of the rod. By this provision the cross-head of arod may be inserted and after penetrating the conduit may be turned soas to anchor the rod to the base. In this manner means of renewal ofbroken rods, it breakage should occur in use is provided.

Ih Figure VII, I illustrate a preferred method of reinforcing theconcrete of a base 2, if reinforcement be desired. In that figure, avertical succession of metal rings 11, coaxial to the longitudinal axisof the base is shown, in combination with metal loops 12, engaging thetop and bottom rings, respectively. The brace-rods are introduced intoconduits which pass through the 100 s 12 near their looped ends,respectively, an so find increased security of anchorage. Also, in thisfigure, the brace-rods are, for increased security, shown as insertedinto the base at an angle to its longitudinal axis, and are shown asbent as indicated at 15.

Around the pole 1 at any suitable height above the top of the base 2, Iprovide a collar which is in service fastened to the pole. The form ofcollar shown in all the figures of the drawings save the last threecomprises a pair of arcuate plates 16 and 17 which are provided,respectively, with terminal flanges 18.

The said flanges are provided respectively, with perforations suitablefor accommodation of one or more headed bolts 19, whose nuts 20 areadapted to constrict the plates 16 and 17 into secure enga ement withthe pole. Each of the said p ates is usually rovided with a brace-rodconnecting memer, preferably an integral car 22, which is verticallypierced by an aperture for the reception of a threaded end of abrace-rod 7; but if a single rod is used, as shown in Figure III, forexample, one of the plates 1617 may be made without an ear 22.

On the other hand, if more than two brace-rods are to be accommodated inthe collar, the collar may be provided with an intermediate section 23,having an car 24 correspondent in form and function with the ear 22,with its complement of terminal engagement between a asses-r1 flangesand bolts as is clearly shown, for example, in Figure'I.

After the collar is fixed to the pole each brace-rod. bein first passedthrough the aperture provided for it in an car 22 or its equivalent, anut 25, threaded to the end of each rod protruding beyond the ear, is

has been described is illustrated in the last three figures of thedrawings. Referring to those figures, 26 indicates each one of a air ofclam s, of which each comprises an e on gated c annelled member 27 whichis preferably provided with tangs 29 re resentetive of any suitablemeans, if any e found necessary in any instance, for effecting fixed oleand the. clam s 26 in service. The we is provided on its edge oppositethe member 27 with an inclined face 30.

Against each. face 30 works a cooperative inclined face 31provided upona tension plate 32. Complementary grooves and ribs 33 and 34,respectively, are provided upon the respective o posing faces 30 and 31to prevent lateral isalignment in operation of v conjoined members 26and 32.

Each of the tension plates 32 constitutes a brace-rod connectin member,being provided with a longitu 'nal aperture for the accommodation of abrace-rod 7 substantially after the manner of the collar alreadydescribed and subject to like exceptions as specified in reference tothe cars 22. 1 In use, the members 26 and 32 are assembled, for example,in the manner illustrated in Figure X,

and are secured, as shown, for example, in that figure to the interposedpole 1 by the aid of a constricting member 35. The member 35 preferablyconsists of a continuous length of stiii strong Wire wra ped andfastened about the assemblage members last referred to, and held inplace as by a transversely corrugated saddle 37 in which form the outerwall of each tension plate 32 is preferably furnished, as shown also inthe figure last named.

'Afterthe assemblage last described is completed by the'application ofthe constricting member or v'vire 35, all that remains to be done inorder to' perfect the union of the pole and base, is to turn the nut ornuts until required tension upon the rod or rods 7 is attained. In thisconnection it should be observed that said tension tends base adapted tobe sunk into the blocks.

to cause the member 32 to slide down the inclined face of itscomplementary memher and thereby to act with wedging effect to tightenthe hold of the wire about the assemblage of members which it serves tobind to the pole. I

The description of operation included in the bodyv of the foregomgspecification a pears to require no enlargement, particular fv in viewof the clearness ofillustration a forded in the drawings.

What I claim is: 1. In a device of the class described, a base adapted.to be sunk into the ground and" having integrally formed therein asocket adapted to receive the butt of a pole, a. collar adapted to besecured to the pole above the base, and brace rods separabl secured tothe base and connected to the co lar to unite the pole and base, saidbase bemg provided with a plurality of channels extending downwardlytherein around said 7 socket, the channels being elongated in crosssection, elongated enlargements on said rods adapted to fit into saidchannels in one, osition and ada ted to interlock with the use outsidethe nnels when the rods are turned in said channels. a

2. In a device of the class described, a base adapted to be sunk intothe ground and P having integrally formed therein a socket adapted toreceive the butt of a pole, a collar adapted to be secured to the leabove the base, and a brace rod separah y secured to the base andconnected to the collar to unite the collar and base, said collarcomprising a plurality of airs of blocks, the mem-. bers of each pairing relatively movable and having meeting faces at least one of which isinclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of the pole and bindinmeans for uniting said pairs of blocks to t e pole, the brace rod'bemgsecured to one of said blocks. I 3.-In a device of the class described,a und and having integrally formed therein a socket adapted to receivethe butt of a pole, a collar adapted to be secured to the pole-above thebase, and a brace rod'separably secured to the base and connected to thecollar to unite the collar and base, said collar comprising a pluralityof pairs of blocks, the members of each pair being relatively movableand having meetin faces at least one of which is inclined witgi respectto the longitudinal axis of the pole, binding means for uniting saidpairs of blocks to the pole, and means for preventing lateral relativemovement between the members of said pairs of blocks, the brace rodbeing secured to one of said us I 4. In a device of the class described,a pole base adapted to receive the pole butt, tens'ioningmeans'forsecuring the pole to the base comprisin tension rods secured to the baseand a. co er on the ole to which the tension rods are anchcre saidcollar comprising a plurality of airs of blocks, the members of eachpair ing relatively movable and having m faces inclined with respect tothe longitudmal axis of the pole to provide a wedging action between themembers, and bindin means for uniting said pairs of blocks to t e pole,the tension 10 rods being secured to one member of each pair of blocks.

JEFFERSON G. SMITH.

